Upper West Side Residents Pestered By Rat Infestation

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Residents of the Upper West Side have been placed under siege by rats, according to the West 76th Street Block Association.

Joseph Bolano and other residents recently attended a “Rat Academy,” designed to teach people how to deal with infestation.

One man told 1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria that fat, foot-long, Norwegian rats take over the neighborhood at night.

“There will be like six or seven rats crossing between the dumpster and building at the same time,” John Manieri said.

The problem, according to residents, stems from a construction site run by Taconic Construction. They said that workers had been leaving trash from their lunch out, underneath a tarp overnight, which resulted in a “rat buffet.” The construction company has since cleaned up its act, but residents said that it hasn’t helped.

“They put down two metal cans with lids on them, but it’s been two years. That’s too little, too late,” Bolano said.

Bolano suggested adjusting the city’s trash pickup guidelines as a means of cutting down on the amount of time that rats have to feed. He said he wants residents to wait until two hours before pickup to put garbage outside, but building owners and superintendents have balked at the idea.

For now, Bolano will be putting up “Rat Crossing” signs to warn pedestrians that they may encounter dozens of rats roaming the street.

Have you experienced a bad rat problem while living in the city? How did you handle it? Let us know in our comments section below…